Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $777 in Palawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,216 in Palawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,655 in Palawan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Palawan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.64 ₱224

256.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$19.42 ₱1,198

173.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.27 ₱202

197.25%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.64 ₱163

42.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.82 ₱50.6

91.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.40 ₱24.55

182.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.23 ₱76.1

158.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.15 ₱133

116.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.92 ₱119

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.22 ₱75.3

122.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.97 ₱59.6

93.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.06 ₱127

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.82 ₱482

28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.23 ₱261

95.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.90 ₱487

51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.98 ₱184

-4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.50 ₱92.4

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.72 ₱168

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.59 ₱98.1

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.28 ₱141

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.50 ₱154

-12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.11 ₱68.7

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.75 ₱46.56

49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.92 ₱180

43.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.00 ₱432

103.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.17 ₱72.1

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.99 ₱122

84.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.28 ₱17.42

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.79 ₱48.48

75.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.24 ₱14.82

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.14 ₱132

153.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.15 ₱71.0

17.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$26.8K ₱1.7M

-29.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

15.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.82 MX$714

$115 ₱7,066

-64.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.50 MX$481

$33.00 ₱2,036

-16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$27.96 ₱1,725

8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$34.00 ₱2,097

57.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.38 ₱270

500.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.92 ₱365

5.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,632

$149 ₱9,178

193.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,320 ₱266.5K

142.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$45.87 ₱2,829

23.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$26.30 ₱1,622

70.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.6 ₱4,723

34.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.5 ₱3,299

101.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$265 ₱16.3K

277.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$180 ₱11.1K

245.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$588 ₱36.3K

263.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$387 ₱23.8K

219.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,309 ₱142.4K

67.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$823 ₱50.7K

183.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Palawan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $265 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $204 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Palawan differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $777 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,166 in Palawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $265 in Palawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $149 in Palawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palawan – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Palawan versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Palawan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.